7 surprises of home ownership

You’ll hear these words dozens of times as you go through the process of buying a home. But that sarcastic turn of phrase won’t end when you move into your new house, because the costs in both time and money don’t stop at the closing table. There’s maintenance. Americans, for example, spend about 1½ hours a week tending to their lawns and gardens, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median expenditure for all maintenance is $33 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

And plumbing fixes: $500 median cost.

And roof replacement: $4,559.

And that bathroom renovation: $3,422.

The list goes on.

Some of these costs — like your utility bill — you can come to anticipate. But there are a lot of unexpected things that come up, too — things you might not have thought of when you were a renter.